While Nicola Black Design specializes in print design, we are no strangers to the world of web. In addition to our print design services, we also offer our clients help navigating the sometimes overwhelming world of web marketing tools. We understand that it can be a bit intimidating and we’re here to help!

We have experience working with most online newsletter interfaces and are happy to assist in creating newsletter templates which you can store for future use, edit and re-use.

Below are a few examples of our most recent newsletter work. These newsletters were created using two different services: myemma.com and MailChimp.com (we personally use and recommend MailChimp) respectively. We also have plenty of experience with constantcontact.com.

Please contact us if you have any questions about or would like us to help you with your newsletter service.

Interesting design and business related tidbits. Enjoy!

DESIGN

1. Fan of the typeface Gotham? Check out some alternatives via imjustcreative.com

4. 40 Creative 404 Error Pages to Inspire You via webdesignledger.com

5. Periodic Table of Typefaces!

BUSINESS

1. Self-employment Advice for designers via davidairey.com

2. Recognizing the Red Flag Client via The Freelance Rant

There are days where my plate is 100% full with projects and I’ve got a great flow going with my schedule. But what happens when you happen upon a little lull in business?

It’s expected and happens from time-to-time in a solo-designer’s career which is why it’s important to plan ahead and be mindful of income and business costs. Aside from the financial planning, what should you be doing to keep the flow of your business going during a lull?

You may find yourself in a bit of a rut when business is a bit slow, but here are some things you can do to stay focused on your business while enjoying a bit of it and refreshing your creativity:

1) Take a day trip! Get out of the office for a day and bring your camera along. If you have friends who also run their own business, it may be a good opportunity to spend a little creative time together to get ideas flowing regarding personal projects you’d like to pursue. I call these meetings “create dates” and try to fit them in at least once a month even when I am very busy.

2) Design something for yourself. Keep your mind on design, but open yourself up to try out a new technique or style you’ve been inspired by; totally for fun and experimenting. You never know what you’ll uncover.

3) Do something completely unrelated to design. Sometimes, it’s necessary to take advantage of down time and do something unassociated with work altogether. This can really refresh the mind. Try that video game you’ve been hearing about, go to the movies, or catch up on that major home project you haven’t got around to yet.

4) Marketing, marketing, marketing! Whether it be virtual marketing via Facebook, Twitter, your business blog, or redesign of your print promotional materials, working on your business’ image is always time spent well. Why not put together a newsletter during this time or write-up a few blog posts for your queue? They’ll come in handy during times when you might have to skip a post or two due to your hectic schedule.

5) Update your calendar with design related events. Now is the time to take advantage of those events that you may otherwise have to skip due to your hectic schedule. Look to your local AIGA chapter and/or other design meet-up groups to see what they’re offering regarding upcoming networking events or design/business lectures.

6) Backup your important files! This is something I’m constantly doing to ensure I have multiple copies of my files. You never know when a client you haven’t heard from for ages will contact you asking for random changes to a project you thought was long gone. Make sure you’ve got a good archive going – take advantage of the downtime and backup those files!

7) Take a class! With so many online options (one I’ve enjoyed using: lynda.com), there’s no excuse not to be up to date on the latest design software. Sure, you can fall behind here and there with the constant updates taking place, but now is the time to utilize to keep yourself up to date. Take advantage of it and you’ll be that much more marketable.
Nicola Black Design, L.L.C. is not affiliated with or endorsed by lynda.com, Inc.

Those are just a few things I like to do during my downtime. If you are a solo-designer full time, what sorts of things do you do during your downtime? Do you focus more on administrative tasks or take advantage of the time to focus on taking care of yourself and your creativity?

Why is email preferred when discussing your design job?

We do 99% of our business via email. Why? Simply because there are many details to consider for each job. Email provides a great reference point when putting together your estimate, proposal, and contract terms. To better assist clients, it’s important that all items are laid out at the beginning of all jobs so each party is on the same page from square one.

It’s understandable that some clients are used to working via phone communications, but we find email to be the superior communication resource when serving our clients. We aren’t saying we don’t appreciate phone calls, but the initial quote, proposal and contract are best laid out in writing. Email is best suited for those communications.

Here’s a scenario:
Someone contacts us for a possible job. We’re very interested in the initial description and reply with a few basic questions to see if it’s something that will fit in with our queue. Those questions usually ask the client to clearly define the deadline, the printer they’ve chosen, if they’d like to utilize any of our service providers, a bit more info about their company (if they haven’t already sent info), project expectations, and their plans for usage.

Once those questions are answered and the project seems like something we can help the client with, we can then move to step two which involves the estimate. If the quote suits both parties, a proposal/contract and design brief are drawn up and sent to the client to fill out and return. As soon as those items have been agreed to, signed and returned, turnaround time begins.

Believe it or not, this system saves both parties involved a lot of time. It may seem a bit tedious, at first, to a client who is only used to phone communications, but email is one of a designer’s best friends. It’s important to layout the structure and details of a job upfront to better expedite and serve our clients in a timely and concise manner. That hour or two discussing your project, your budget, and your timeline on the phone, in most cases, can be a waste of time. That same info will still need to be submitted via email or writing, regardless, to get your job rolling. Once your job is in queue, however, phone calls are always welcome! We never mind a quick break and the chance to interact with our clients.

The reference that email offers designers is a fantastic asset in the workplace. Instead of checking in at random times with the client (who may or may not be available when their job is in queue) to confirm specific details for their job, having a back log of email to search is invaluable. We work on multiple client projects at any given time. Juggling info via phone does not suit the graphic design business model. When all is said and done, the phone, unfortunately, can get in the way of quality and timely service regarding design. Any info communicated via phone, is info that will eventually need to be resubmitted via email by the client anyhow. So, you can see why email communications can be the preferred tool of correspondence.

We are online every business day from 9-5PM (sometimes later) and our email response time is, at most times, less than 2 hours. In most cases, it’s immediate. We’ve found that each and every one of our clients, even those who prefer the phone, are very impressed with and enjoy our email communications. It provides a record of what’s been discussed as well as the fact we respond extremely fast. We also understand that some will stand by their trusty phone communications. This is why we felt the need to post about our process regarding email and how it benefits both parties when working with us.

Designers, what is your preferred method of communication? Do you find that email serves as a superior tool for client communications? Are you more inclined to work with clients who email rather than telephone? Why or why not? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

For those of you who aren’t designers, what are your thoughts? Does it make sense that the initial communication (at least) is done via email seeing what is involved? Since all information will be required to be emailed regardless, does that make you less apt or more inclined to want to use the phone to discuss your project? Why or why not?

Thanks!

When we “we love what we do,” this is what we’re talking about. The process of creating this logo has been extremely rewarding. Dolly Dahl is truly a stellar woman to work with! Not to mention her brand is one that is right up our alley. Vintage, retro, sparkly and fun! How could this NOT be a fun project to work on.

Dollydahl.com is an online retro empire selling everything from clothing and accessories to housewares. It’s a one stop shop for your vintage-styled life! In addition to the solid colored black, white, and pink and black logos, we came up with a sparkly version as well (seen to the left). Read about our creative process here.

Please visit Dolly Dahl’s site for some of the best online vintage shopping available! Her logo will be implemented soon throughout her site and collateral. We can’t wait to see it in action!

Designs ©2010 Nicola Black Design, L.L.C.
All rights reserved.

One of the things I like to do on this blog, once in a while, is post about my creative process. I find it gives clients an inside look on what to expect when working with a designer as well as opening up conversation between my design peers and myself. I always enjoy seeing how others work so why not share a bit of my approach. And hey, you never know if someone may have some worthwhile suggestions or criticism to offer. So feel free to comment on what you see. I’m always open to conversation regarding creative process!

For this project, I was very lucky to work with the lovely Dolly Dahl of www.dollydahl.com (website is coming soon). I find that the client’s general outlook on work and life accounts for about 50% of how enjoyable their design projects can be. When working with someone who is open to the creative process as well as understands how to communicate their expectations, needs, and direction — well, it’s a beautiful thing. Dolly made my job incredibly enjoyable and I definitely looked forward to the hours I spent on creating a look for her mark.

Onto the design! First, I begin with sketching and brainstorming. Here’s a look at how those ideas look on paper. I don’t get too detailed at this point. Just a loose session with pencil and paper to get the ideas flowing:

Once a general direction has been decided upon, I begin designing logos in Adobe Illustrator in black on a white background. It’s very important that the mark reads well in black and white or one-color. You will find it necessary during the life of your logo that there be a one-color version that reads well for different printing applications (t-shirts, coasters, etc). By creating the logo in black and white (or one-color) the overall shape and impression is the focus. One can better judge those aspects of the mark by implementing this process. Below you will see the logos in color for the full final effect.

A few of the keywords and phrases regarding the feel of what Dolly wanted to achieve in her logo were:

• glamorous, but fun!
• sparkly
• luxe
• vintage

With those descriptors as well as a full creative brief including other points including color preferences, audience demographics, etc. I sent along my first draft designs.

For each logo above, I drew the accompanying graphics, scanned those drawings into Adobe Illustrator, cleaned them up and created vector graphics for use in the logo design. The lipstick tube made for a fun way to incorporate a sort of pin-up, retro-girl signature for Dolly to incorporate into her brand. The diamonds leaned more toward the glam/luxe feel described during the brief while keeping it light-hearted and fun.

Dolly enjoyed the idea of a lipstick signature, but was interested in finding a way to make that message come across without using the lipstick tube. After a bit of discussion, we thought it communicated more of a make-up shop rather than a full retro empire. Dolly sells everything from retro clothing and housewares and everything inbetween. We had to make sure the logo wasn’t so specific, but she liked the idea of the mark being a signature of sorts. By tweaking the previous compositions, we came up with a mark that salvaged the script of the lipstick logo combining it with a new illustration. This time, it is insinuated that the mark was made with a tube of lipstick — sealed with a kiss! Here is the final solid colored logo Dolly will be using:

In addition, we created a version that incorporates Dolly’s love of all things sparkly. She has a personality that shines and we love it! Here is that version (to be used on darker backgrounds):

Since the logo will be used in different sized environments, we like to include different versions for those applications. The logo won’t always work stacked as it is above. So, we included a horizontal design with Dolly’s final package (all versions are delivered in black & white as well as full color):

And there you have it! An inside look at our process. If you like what you see, please do not hesitate to contact us for a quote on your upcoming design projects. We look forward to hearing from you. To all of my designer buddies, please feel free to discuss in the comment section. I would also be interested to hear your thoughts regarding process and the way you approach your projects. Until next time! Cheers!

PS. We’ll be starting a newsletter soon! If you’d like to be included on our mailing list, please sign-up here. Newsletters will include special offers on design services as well as design related articles of interest.

Image by Nicola Black Design, L.L.C. — My attempt at recreating the LOST title logo.
Whew! It’s been a while, but I’m back.

We were having some issues with our web hosting, but all seems to be back to normal (crossing fingers). Gotta love that crazy world of gadgets, gizmos, and tech! It’s funny when you realize just how much depend on something once it’s down.

Now that I’m back on, I figure why not start back with a fun, non-work related post. This past Tuesday, the second to last episode of LOST premiered, and I think I’m officially in mourning. I absolutely love this show. I’m not sure if you understand the severity of it. A friend on facebook suggested that there may be a help group for people like me. Maybe I should look into that.

I’m not going to get into any theories — there are tons of sites for that. Just a note to acknowledge how completely amazing this show has been. Whether the final show gives us the answers we’re looking for or not, to me, is irrelevant. They’ve kept us guessing for the full length of the series… and we’ve still got questions one episode before the finale! There’s disappointment as well as relief and that’s part of the beauty of the series. My fiancé and I sit down in anticipation every week pressing pause at least 3-4 times during each episode after random revelations to discuss whys and why nots. It’s so addictive. Hours after the show is over, I’m still thinking about it. I get online, check out theory boards, blogs, twitter, etc. Hello, my name is Nicola and I’m addicted to LOST.

I’m just as fascinated with the world outside of the storyline that the LOST phenomenon has generated. There have been so many tie-in websites, theory sites, forum discussions, and more creating an online culture outside of simply viewing the television show — a true LOST experience. I’ve never come across a show that’s prompted and inspired a world outside of merely watching the show. I will miss that in LOST.

I will miss all of the theorizing, coincidences, characters, stories, relationships, mythology, discussions, and suspense I’ve come to look forward to each week in LOST. Oh, and Sawyer. Sigh… I’ll miss Sawyer.

Major kudos to the writers and creators of LOST. I’ll definitely be going back to watch the full series a third time. Yes, I already watched it a second time. That’s how much of a fan I am of this show. Once season six started, there were bits and pieces coming together that made me want to revisit season one. And, of course, I got sucked in and watched seasons 1-5 again. Which brings me to another point – the show is even more amazing the second time around! It was a completely different experience! And I’m sure after this Sunday, once everything’s wrapped up (I hear they’ll be leaving us with some questions – would you have it any other way?) I will begin round three with a fresh perspective. Well done on a fantastic production! Hats off to all of the amazing creativity and thought that went into what is probably my favorite show of all time.

Did I mention I’ll miss Sawyer?

Update: A few hours after I posted this, I found this video. Enjoy.

Hello, everyone! We’ve got great news! We’ve updated our site to include a new shop! The goal is to roll out a new line of designed goods by Fall/Winter 2010. So stay tuned for more information regarding those items.

In the meantime, we have 3 pieces available for purchase immediately! Check them out:

1) Dr. Sketchy’s Old-Timey Dirty Ditties CD: Package design by Nicola Black Design, L.L.C. and illustration by Molly Crabapple. This compilation was conceptualized by Mr. Joe Wos of Dr. Sketchy’s Pittsburgh for SketchyCon ’09. The CDs were created for Dr. Sketchy’s branch directors who met in 2009 for SketchyCon as part of their swag bags. Today, you can grab your own as I now have a limited quantity available for purchase! Get yours before they are gone!

2) Desert Wind poster: 10 x 21 full-color, matte, limited edition art print illustrating Neil Gaiman’s dark mirage of a tale Desert Wind. Posters are produced by Neil Gaiman’s merchandising company, Neverwear. Design by Nicola Black Design, L.L.C., illustration by Molly Crabapple, with words by Neil Gaiman. We have some signed copies by Molly Crabapple available as well as some without signatures.

3) Letterpressed Holiday Cards 3-Pack: These holiday cards were our first experience utilizing letterpress printing and we love them! We are selling them 3 to a pack including envelopes. They measure 5.75″ x 5.75″ and are printed on 300gsm Lettra in Pearl White. Our friends over at SlowPrint did a great job with the prints. Big thanks to them! Designed by Nicola Black Design, L.L.C.

Stay tuned for more products coming soon! We hope you enjoy our shop! We had a great time putting it together — the folks over at Storenvy.com make it very simple. We definitely recommend using them if you are opening up an online shop. Very simple setup and personalization along with social networking integration! Who wouldn’t love that?!

*UPDATE:* We are now offering our limited stock of remaining Dr. Sketchy’s Philly posters we designed from 2008-2009! Update your collection today!

What a great week! The sun finally came out and I was loving it! A little chilly today on the East Coast, but still bright outside.

Some good news, links, and other tidbits to share:

I’ve created a new logo piece I’ll be adding to the portfolio section of my site that I designed for the lovely Miss Dolly Dahl. It takes a lot for me to add work to that section as I’m my own worst critic, but when the job involves complete creative freedom and exploration, the process is just as rewarding as the final product itself. I’ll break down my approach as I did with the Neil Gaiman / Molly Crabapple piece I finished last week. I had a great time working on the logo. Look for it in the portfolio section in the next of couple weeks — can’t wait to see it in use!

CD Front

CD Back

Cover art by Cynthia von Buhler ©2010

Steve and Jamie of Kettering PC Support

*Limited quantities of this poster are now on sale at our shop. Click HERE!

For this portfolio piece, we thought we’d post about our process. This collaboration between Neil Gaiman, Molly Crabapple and ourselves was so much fun — we had to share our experience.

When we received the art work sans text, we was in awe. Molly had done a beautiful job. Here is how it looked when it came to us:

Before - Illustration © 2010 Molly Crabapple

Our job was to find the perfect type style for the title, layout the poem itself and possibly embellish the art work and text elements when and where possible. We began looking through fonts for the perfect style to accentuate the illustration as well as the words of the poem. This process is one any designer can get lost in. There are oodles of well designed fonts out there to choose from (our fave go to site is myfonts.com) allowing us to set aside a nice, big bundle as possible contenders for this poster. ArcanaGMMStd-Manuscript ended up being the perfect font for this project – a little weathered, a bit of a Middle Eastern flair, all mixed with just a touch of whimsy.

Here’s how the text looks untouched:

When designing, there can be quite a lot of details to be applied to the text to accommodate the layout. After all, our goal is to make sure the text really feels like a part of the piece. We don’t want the text to feel disjointed and simply pasted on top of the illustration. Our next step was to stack the text as well as tilt each line a bit. This allows the title to fill the top portion of the design nicely:

Next, we applied a few distortions to the text. Even though the type face provides a nice organic feel, this step adds just a bit more movement to the treatment. We found that the text alone in the space wasn’t quite right. Something was missing. It still felt a bit lonely. We needed to incorporate more elements to tie the treatment into the illustration. So, we got out the sketch book and jotted down a few of our own little swirls inspired by those found in the illustration. We also pulled out our trusty tracing paper and began to apply some extra embellishments to the text. Dotted swirls, loops and curlicues did the trick! Here’s what it looked like before we applied it to the illustration. Keep in mind, we had a plan for the color and transparency of the different areas of the text – so this example is a little overwhelming being that it is the high contrast, black and white version:

Next step – apply it to the illustration! We experimented with color and transparency creating multiple versions of the piece. We then held official voting in our studio and decided on the version you see below.

The body copy went through a lot of revisions. In some of our first compositions, we treated the text similarly to the title treatment – giving it a bit of movement. In the end, simplicity prevailed. After looking back at some of those other compositions, we’re so glad they were vetoed. The poster has so much going on it was best to keep Mr. Gaiman’s poem untouched in regard to fanciful embellishments and distortion. At the foot of the poster, we felt it would be a fun element to reiterate the words, “this time,” from the poem. They become ghost like and an after thought we felt added a little something extra to the piece.

And there you have it! This project was SO much fun to work on. It’s always a pleasure working with Molly Crabapple (as you can tell from our portfolio – only our favorite jobs make it there). And we are so very honored to have been able to work on this poem for Neil Gaiman, Cat Mihos and neverwear.net. One of the most rewarding pieces we’ve had the pleasure of working on yet! The poster will be available for sale beginning Friday, April 2nd, 2010 at 4PM PST on neverwear.net.

*Limited quantities of this poster are now on sale at our shop. Click HERE!

Final piece:
Illustration © 2010 Molly Crabapple • Design © 2010 Nicola Black Design, L.L.C. • Poem © Neil Gaiman